Destroyer

Bien. Más escuchable de lo que pensaba.

Honestly, I have nothing to complain about—they have a good sound, and it surprised me. The issue is that in the very unlikely chance I only listened to it half-heartedly because I was on RT-2 on a Thursday at 4pm the day after I get my wisdom teeth removed…I won’t reallyyyyy be itching to listen to it again. Do remember though that heavy metal is not really my genre.

The variety of sound is a definite plus for this genre, so I was tempted to give it a 4, but I don’t think I can. A very strong 3. An addicting album that pleasantly surprised me. It’s a 4 at heart, but a 3 on paper.

First time listening. Serviceable hard rock. But, I have a take... KISS is a pre-boy band. Think about it, it's all there. You see it in the individual personalities of the members, the constant merchandising, the obsession with image over music, all of the band provides vocal contributions, it fits perfectly. Except that it's not marketed towards preteen and teenage girls, it's marketed to dudes of my father's generation (and maybe even before that). On this record is particular, no individual member's musicianship overshadows the other. "Detroit Rock City" is fun, but the album doesn't really retain that intensity much at all afterwards. They remain a singles band to me. Maybe some other time.

Sits somewhere between a 3-4. Some classics for sure... but also some skips.

Meh

I'm sure not a popular opinion, not a huge fan. Like Beth though

I enjoyed it more than I thought I would! God of Thunder, Great Expectations, and Beth were favorites.

Kids In Satans Service? Det är ju underhållande i alla fall.

Stämsolofest! Det är konstigt att man inte snubblade på KIZZ när man var liten. Jag hade nog fallit för det 1978.

Fun 70's dad rock, solid songwriting, great bluesy guitar solos, and more hits than I would have expected on any one Kiss record. I am only familiar with the radio hits.

Wow, I had no idea how much power of their songs are sapped by the studio. I’m familiar with (and like!) live versions of Detroit Rock City and Beth, and it’s almost criminal how mundane they sound here. I checked out the reimagined “Resurrected” version of this album and it was a huge improvement.

I was kind of dreading listening to this for some reason... It was actually a really fun listen. It's quite a sexy album isn't it? I also find it walks that fine line well between the humour of heavy metal and still being remotely cool. Unless that's just my interpretation I don't know. I can't exactly figure out what I think about it but I kind of enjoyed it in a light hearted way. Pretty inoffensive and classic, not too cringe but a good dose of cringe for good measure. Then Beth is a cute heart-felt song which was unexpected. Good 70s vibes. Overall I get kindof rock opera theatrical vibes too which is fun! I basically had no preconceptions or ideas about Kiss before listening to this so it's a pure reaction. OH and it really reminded me of playing endless hours of guitar hero with my brother as a tween which is fun! That style of guitar and drums together is quite fun.

Didn't mind this at all, wasn't the most mind blowing thing but good fun

Not awful.

After listening to this album, all I can say is, wow, I don't care about KISS at all. At least not this album. I was actually surprised by how little I knew this album, always assuming that I knew more KISS than I do. Completely forgettable album. That said, I wouldn't turn it off, either. Perfectly fine to listen to in the car and not pay attention to it.

Detroit rock is the song the band is known for but the rest of the album is mid

Come dice la 4 avevo 'Great Expectations' invece non mi piace molto... Bella 'Shout it out loud', ma in generale è un album medio

These songs all sounded the same and I didn’t recognize one of them. Having said that, I do like Kiss’ sound and their lyrics make me laugh so I’d come back to this one!

Nooit de moeite genomen om echt naar Kiss te luisteren behalve 'I was made for loving you' natuurlijk, maar dit was best aardig eigenlijk.

Rock and Roll!

Pretty good album, but I feel like KISS gets overrated a lot

Destroyer is the fourth album by American hard rock band KISS. After the band's breakthrough third album "Alive!", this top 20 charting album quickly became KISS's first platinum one (double platinum). This heavy art rock album may have been the band's most experimental, but this didn't make it any less good. It will appeal to some and turn others off. However, for me it was a fun album to listen to as I enjoyed listening to some more songs from the classic hard rock band KISS.

For me this blends into classic rock, good but not standout

I like Kiss just fine, never a big fan. This had a few good ones though.

It's good fun It didn't blow my socks off.

Liked it more than I thought I would, but still nothing amazing. I wouldn't return to it, but I'll likely continue to sing along to the singles. 3/5

I didn’t realize this album was so short. Detroit Rock City was best song but that’s not great since it was the first song

Well not as anthemic as I expected - although it was more so with every listen - but still an overall fun album. Lyrically it’s a desert - a 70s teenage boy’s fantasy that by 21st century standard is comically unrealistic (OR straight on veiled misogyny and tales of sexual harassment…) but hey it was a different dumber time. I mean - Detroit had some clout as a city back then still.

I always thought of them as a parody band. it's so strange to think of them causing an actual moral panic. The music is fine, middle of the road rock, really nothing to write home about. 2.6

It’s KISS

KISS & makeup.

74/100: Good album, but nothing more than that. In fact, it’s only “good” because it has two fantastic songs on it—“Detroit Rock City” and “Beth.” The rest of this album is a lot of gain and loud power chords. No real precision in refinement of sound here. I guess what else do you expect from hard rock?

Should you listen to a Kiss album before you die? Yeah, probably. They are one of the most well known bands in the history of rock music after all. I don't know if this is the one though, and it turns out they're really not that good. Everything about them feels corporate and manufactured but it still does occasionally result in a compelling moment or two.

Fun album

De va semi chill

I like the drums :)

The middle of the album was especially rough and tacky. I would not voluntarily listen to "Great Expectations" again. The rest of it wasn't too bad. This kind of music isn't necessarily the music you put on when you want to think deeply, and that's okay.

It's hard to not to picture the visuals associated with KISS while listening to this. And, honestly, to do so really removes a lot of the appeal for me. Without the associated spectacle, the music just feels a bit "meh"... even though there are several KISS classics on this album.

I'm the king of the midnight world and you're my headlight queen. I've never listened to this whole album. And I may never again, but there are so many great tunes on it!

Though destroyer, shout it out loud and beth and recognizable, most of the album comes across as simple rock and dumb lyrics... it seems there was a lower threshold for rock success in the 70's.

Of course I have heard of KISS before, and I knew Beth and God gave Rock 'N' Roll To You, but this is the first full KISS album I've listened to, and to be honest I am underwhelmed. Music and songs are alright, as far as 70s (glam) rock goes, but I guess I was expecting something a little more special. But this isn't. It's OK, it's solid, but that's about it. For KISS, the packaging obviously was as important (if not more) as the music. 2.5/5

Cheesy ok rock

I listened to this album and liked the first two songs. Would probably be more fun to listen to on a road trip with my dad. Listening to it without that additional stimuli, I’m wanting to give it a 3. I understand why people like them and this, but it’s doesn’t seem like it would be super sustainable in my listening lists. Totally love Detroit Rock City, and that’s what’s keeping this from being a 2.

Ça manque de glam

Destroyer j'irais pas jusque là quand même

Never my favorite band, but decent songs and a lot of energy. Detroit Rock City is great, everything else is decent.

KISS is a totally fine rock band. This is there best display in my opinion. They’re always more of a singles band rather then having consistently good albums.

Good KISS album. Incredible, Bob Ezrin participated in the writing of all songs. The inclusion of some arrangements for New York philarmonic orchestra makes this album even better

Good album from high school days

I don't know if I was expecting KISS to be on the list, but I like that they are! They're a band that always fascinated me; when I was first getting into classic rock and guitar stuff, I made a point of learning each of the band members' names and "characters," which is kind of cute in hindsight. Alex made a great point in his review that KISS is kind of tame for a hard rock/classic rock band. Sure, they have these personas and the facepaint makes them seem evil or salacious or whatever, but the music is very simple. Of course, they do have some saucier songs out there, but this album feels like a white bread classic rock entry. A couple of hits that I liked, but didn't leave a serious impression. I'll look forward to another album from them with more edge. Favorite tracks: Detroit Rock City, God of Thunder, Do You Love Me. Album art: This is where they shine, they really had the aesthetic nailed down. Love the art style, love their band name font/logo, and the costumes and stuff are legendary. To prove I've still got it, from left to right is Paul Stanley the Starman, Peter Criss the Catman, Ace Frehley (forgot his identity - Space Man?), and Gene Simmons the....Demon maybe? I'm a little rusty. 3/5

As this someone who can't stand Gene Simmons, I have never listened to a KISS album. I went in with an open mind and this wasn't terrible. They're actually pretty cheesy and remind me of Meatloaf

Detroit Rock City and Shout it Out Loud are absolute classic hard rock anthems. But some of the deeper cuts are soooo bad with some of the most banal lyrics the 70s had to offer; case in point Great Expectations...wow! Truly bad! The outlier here is Beth a very nice ballad with some actual genuine emotion. Overall a solid 3.5 🌟

ok

Definitely a bit repetitive but I liked it more than I expected. It's a vibe for sure but I listened while driving a convertible so maybe that helped. Strong 3 stars.

I had their Live album that everyone went crazy over. Destroyer came out next which featured Beth. The guys had no time for that song but  the girls liked it so the boys could play the albums more. Sounds like a brilliant  strategy although the Wiki notes say Beth wasn't released as a single until the first three singles didn't get traction. Oh well, better to be lucky than smart. 

LP

Way more enjoyable than I thought it was going to be and whilst I realise there’s an artifice and facade to the band it wasn’t the worst rock album I’ve heard on this project so far.

Tää on mun mielestä varmaan KISSin paras albumikokonaisuus, mutta siitäkin huolimatta pätee sama mikä muiden bändin levyjen kohdalla: hitit on hittejä ja loput on floppeja. Pari tiukkaa tikkausta ja muuten löysä. Onhan KISSissä ja ABBAssa ollut vähän muutakin samaa kuin ulkonäkö, eikö? 3/5

Ihan jees rokkimenoa

When you look at KISS you expect them to be really heavy but really, it's just some fun, approachable, 70s hard rock. It's nothing spectacular. If it weren't for their image, I can't imagine they would have become as big as they did. But I enjoyed listening.

First Kiss album I ever listened to. I do understand why they were so big in their time. The album is good, but for me no song really jumped out. All songs are good and enjoyable, nothing special.

A few good songs

I was never into Kiss growing up. The boy went through a brief Kiss when he was younger. Most of that was watching "Kiss Meets Scooby Doo" hundreds of times. He hasn't grown out of that music, but has... moved on. So I think I'm familiar with about 1/3 of these songs. First off, the "live" version of "Detroit Rock City" is better. (I say it in quotes because the live Kiss albums had massive amounts of fixes in the studio). "Great Expectations" is a bit on the cringe-y side. The lyrics are, yikes. Originally I thought it was going to be about the book, so I'm glad they did not try to do that. "Beth" is... look, it's their highest charted single, but it is a bit on the schmaltzy side. But I am not going to take anything away from the success of the song. Ultimately, Kiss has always been a party rock band and they really do bring it home with this album. But I don't know, I always feel like their music is just so... pandering. "We know what you want, and we're going to give it to you!" But does it have any merit? The merchandise doesn't. Who wants to be buried in a Kiss coffin? It's a party album, but I don't think at a party "this place needs some Kiss music!" Not my go to band.

Fun album (at times) but lacks substance. Too much filler too - intro to Detroit Rock City, Rock N Roll Party (what was that and why was it needed?). It's hits are great to rock along to (DRC, Shout it Out Loud) or to sing along to (Beth) but the rest is hit or miss. King of the Night Time World is further evidence these guys can write songs you want to bob your head to (even if the lyrics are pure cheese). But God of Thunder was annoying - way too much layered-in studio effects. Plus Gene Simmons isn't a great singer - so I didn't enjoy Great Expectations or Sweet Pain either (though the instrumentation on the latter was fun). Flaming Youth was okay. Like other albums on this list, a few nice hits do not make for an incredible album. Fun, but average.

Interesting album with a story thread. And some talent which I had never fully appreciated before.

Probably the best Kiss album to listen to if you are not a Kiss fan. Has most of their hits on it. Kiss is one of those bands that a song is either a good rock song or complete crap and this album has more good than crap on it.

Cool. Not really my jam but I can definitely see how this appeals to people. Favorite tracks: Beth, Do You Love Me

From the singles I've heard I'd always assumed Kiss were the worst band of all time. Some decent tracks on here though

Levyn alkupuolella ehdin jo pelästyä, että miten voi KISS kuulostaa näin hyvältä. Neljäs biisi sitten rauhoitti tilanteen ja loppulevy oli aika yhdentekevää. Kyllä God of Thunderilla kuitenkin kolmoseen saakka päästään!

Singles are amazing. Everything else pretty ok. Basic Rock N Roll fun

It doesn’t really flow with that tracklist order but it’s otherwise a pretty great rock album. Not their best though

6/10 some good songs but not a fantastic album

5/10. KISS has some nostalgic value for me, so this was fine, but didn't really have a lot of what I'd consider their memorable songs.

Suuuuuuuuuuuuuper campy. 5/10

Dit is voor mij echte onvervalste hardrock. Van die muziek die je op de radio hoort als je door Amerika over de lange wegen rijdt. Niet dat ik daar ervaring in heb. Muziek is lekker melodieus, niet te complex, en niet teveel vreemde overgangen. Het schreeuwerige van de zanger past zelfs bij deze muziek omdat het net niet te overdreven is. Mijn favoriet is "Flaming Youth". ***

More of a 3.5-star album. Fun but a little flat.

Silly, empty sounding but a bit fun in small doses maybe

Beter dan den Boland!

L'album est sympa, ni plus ni moins. Je voulais revenir sur l'épisode que j'ai abordé dans ma dernière critique (celle de Rubber Soul des Beatles). Je vous avais informé qu'alors que je buvais du Glühwein avec une amie et que je m'apprêtais à critiquer le Générateur, une personne avait interrompu ma discussion. Ma critique se concluait par des soupçons d'espionnage, rien de plus. Cela fait maintenant plusieurs jours que je suis malade, ma gorge me fait souffrir le martyre et je suis cloué au lit. Je peux aujourd'hui vous affirmer avec certitude que j'ai été empoisonné, et je crois me souvenir du moment où j'ai baissé ma garde. Reprenons depuis l'arrivée de l'étranger. Cette personne s'est assise à ma diagonale. L'échange s'est tendu aussitôt : « Peut-on savoir de quoi vous étiez en train de parler, si ce n'est pas indiscret ? » s'exclama-t-il. Je ne répondis pas. « Excusez mon impolitesse, je ne me suis pas présenté. Mon nom complet est Norbert Episode. Vous êtes Robfrontalière, je présume ? » Aucun de ses propos ne m'inspirait confiance. Je décidai une nouvelle fois de ne pas répondre. « Hmm... je vois, dit-il. Je comprends que vous vouliez garder le secret à propos de votre identité. En ce qui me concerne, je reste très souvent évasif au sujet de ma profession. Il est vrai qu'elle n'est pas ordinaire. Je ne vais pas en dévoiler d'avantage, mais sachez qu'elle consiste en une réception d'appels et en une série d'interventions sur le terrain. » J'avais un très mauvais pressentiment. « C'est du Glühwein, que vous buvez ? » reprit-il. Je hochai la tête. « Vous savez, j'ai dans ma poche un sachet de poudre dont le goût se marie à merveille avec le Glühwein, videz-le dans votre verre. » m'ordonna-t-il. Je m'exécutai. « Bien, je dois à présent partir. » dit-il en partant. C'est seulement le surlendemain que je compris ce qui s'était passé. Ma gorge douloureuse et mon front brûlant, je retournais son identité dans tous les sens : « Norbert Episode, Norbert Episode, Norbert Episode... Eurêka ! Norbert Episode est en fait une anagramme d'"Espion de Robert"... » J'avais été manipulé.

J'aurai aimé pouvoir parler de cet album, mais je n'ai malheureusement rien écouté, et pour cause: j'étais beaucoup trop concentré sur la langue absolument immense arborée par Gene Clark sur cet album. Une bien belle évolution physique pour l'ennemi de toujours de Cat Stevens, affaire à suivre.

Detroit Rock City is a great movie, so they get an extra star

A strong Kias album that builds on their reputation as hard rock kings. Adds the wrinkle of a beautiful and highly successful balad in Beth. 3.5 🌟

Overall pretty good. Some snoozers though

5/10 . nothing crazy

It's Kiss. Schlock, cock rock with terrible painted faces. It's terrible but kind of great at the same time. Best Tracks: Shout It Out Loud; Beth; Do You Love Me?

Just the kind of music you'd have playing in the background in a rock bar. Not bad and solidly played, fun enough for in the background when you're having drinks with friends. Not nearly interesting enough for me to listen to for its own sake. Cookie-cutter classic, I guess.

Heavy metal ñoño. Para mí no llega a ser heavy metal. Se aproxima más a baladas pop.

Good fun, nothing special

I am looking forward to this. I have NEVER listend to an entire KISS album. I have seen them in concert, and I have heard many of their songs, but an actual album will be interesting. I also want to read up on them because, like how the HELL did a band like this even come to be? Detroit Rock City - Definitely heard this one. Classic rock sound all over. Big, big, big rock song. The album is as kitchy as they band. I mean, they love themselves so much. They embody the rockstar mentality on every song. Every song is so full of ego, it's insane. Beth is a clear outlier. A piano ballad amongst just boys club debaucherously male fantasy songs. Anyway, it's a crisp, clear rock album that does NOT overstay its welcome. 10 songs, 3 minutes a piece and we're out.

Rock suave. Un poco aburrido.

A bit too cheesy 70s rock for me, but pretty decent (or average) rock n roll album

Surprisingly not as bad as I thought it would be.

Okay I wasn't sure how I was going to feel about a fucking KISS album but it was only 30 minutes long so I gave it a shot. Honestly, it kind of slapped. Also, didn't realize the song Paul Rudd sings at the end of Role Models to his love interest Beth was the song "Beth" off this album, nice to connect those dots.

Ahaha, here's one that takes me back. My brother had this album when I was a kid. Look at these guys. The costumes, the imagery, the grandeur, the pure RAWK of it all. It's impossible to listen to a KISS album without considering the whole package, because you're not supposed to. The music is the image is the music and it was designed that way, years before anyone knew about MTV. The problem is, if you take away the image, there's little to recommend. And I happen to like KISS, by the way. The album is fun and a time capsule for sure, but overall middling in quality. Weak tunes are held up by the stronger ones, glued together by the KISS-ness of the whole deal. "Detroit Rock City" is the true superstar of this album and it's pulling most of the weight here, while songs like "God of Thunder" and "Flaming Youth" are just kind of tagging along for the ride. "Shout It Out Loud" and "Do You Love Me" are fun, likeable '70s rockers and "Beth" is a sweet power ballad that should have closed out the whole album. Musically, the album is good enough, with riffs galore. Paul and Gene make for an interesting pair of contrasting leads. Yet they never really pull it together and half the songs fall flat. The lyrics are as shallow as you might expect, but no one comes to KISS looking for great lyrics. In that respect, I guess Destroyer delivers. Bet it sounded rad live. Fave songs: Detroit Rock City, Shout It Out Loud, Beth

Gene Simmons is a tool. Just listen to his interview with Terry Gross of Fresh Air. Musically, it's ok. Nothing crazy to listen to, they are a live band experience for sure.

God of thundderrr

Kiss on kyllä yhtye jonka musiikki toimii paremmin joko livenä tai näköradiossa. Pelkällä äänellä levy on kovin keskinkertainen eikä kummemmin koveta.

Solidia rokkia, mut KISS ei oo oikeen ikinä ollu mulle mikään juttu

kiss and tell

I have never been a huge KISS fan and this doesn't exactly seem like their best. Again, I don't know because I don't listen often. But if this is their best I wonder why they have so many fans. It is a solid but forgettable 70's rock album to me.

Funny how at the time their whole schtick was considered so scandalous and controversial, while in hindsight it’s just kinda corny. Liked the album, it was fun, not great.

What’s not to enjoy about KISS

MEH

uhhh, good pop hard rock, some pretty rough lyrics, no small amount of male prowess and misogyny but I suppose that’s the genre? it’s KISS it’s classic rock and Beth is still a fine tune.

Solid rock and roll album.

Kiss not my cup of tea. Had a banger on there though in shout.

I only know 2 songs by Kiss and never heard anything else, so I'm curious how a full album will sound. First songs are really strong, but it kind of fizzles off in the half. Definitely not my favourite when it comes to rock or metal.

Being honest, this hasn't aged well... but it's still a lot of fun.

I thought kiss did death metal when i was a kid. Banger love songs lang pala

Surprisingly fun for such a famous record. A lot about sex though so idk. But at least the recording quality is great and it's just -fun-

KISS is a weird and polarizing band. There aren’t many bands that I have heard people talk about in such extremes. So many people love them, but a great amount hate them too. I, myself, never really listened to them much. I had heard their super popular singles like “Detroit Rock City” and “Rock and Roll All Night”, but that was about it. This was my first full length album of theirs and it was a weird experience to say the least. It started off strong with “Detroit Rock City” and “King of the Night Time World”. Then, it took a huge dive with God of Thunder, and despite songs like “Sweet Pain” not being horrible, it still didn’t quite recover until “Shout it Out Loud”. After that, “Beth” was fantastic, but “Do You Love Me” didn’t do it for me. I don’t even really know the point of “Rock and Roll Party”. It was weird and didn’t add anything at all except waste a minute of my time. So a couple fantastic songs, one or two okay songs, and a good chunk of material that was either bad or pointless. Like I said, weird album from a weird band. All in all, 3/5.

Definitely one of the best KISS albums. Fun one to drive to

This is some hilariously over-the-top party rock, but you gotta love "Detroit Rock City" and "Beth". It really doesn't beg for re-listens, probably best to just pick out those songs and move on. Really a 2.5 for me but rounding up because they are just so iconic.

There wasn't any particular songs that stood out for me, and some songs are a bit cringy. But overall ok and I imagine it would be great to see live.

Great album but loses a mark for great expectations

Some good tracks - opener is brilliant

Decent, nothing more.

Production: 8/20 Songwriting: 10/20 Innovation: 8/20 Bangers: 5/20 Emotional response: 11/20 =42 Barely even a 3! I would have expected more bangers from Kiss!

A short rock and roll album. Detroit Rock City is a great song. 2RS

It’s kiss. But I’m not really into kids much

"It's so sad, livin' at home" (KIng of the Night Time World) ¿Me pondría a escuchar discos de KISS por voluntad propia? No. ¿Pero me lo paso bien cuando cuadra y lo hago? Totalmente.

3/5

Some cool songs but a bit boring for me. Might be better at a live concert or something. Production was nice.

Not the best KISS album. Decent though.

KISS can produce hits and duds all in one album, luckily this album covers 5-6 of their most iconic songs. This band is just not as good on studio albums, but their guitar riffs come shining through. This album suffers from a bad mix and weird decisions (school kid sounds in God of Thunder). Stand-Outs: Detroit Rock City, Beth, Do You Love Me

Memories of early teenage years!

I feel like this album should only exist in popular consciousness in an alternate world where Bill and Ted are the arbiters of taste. Occasionally, they stumble upon something that is catchy for a few bars in a spinal tap way. Mostly abhorrent.

Meh.

Number: 1983 Familiarity: well-versed (4) Rating: 2 Not a fan of KISS, though I did like them a little at the time this album came out. Most of the album is laughably bad.

Uh oh we've got a premier beer-chugging album on our hands. "Detroit Rock City" is most memorable for it's placement in the bad guy montage in "Paul Blart: Mall Cop" imo. Little fun fact, the beginning of "God Of Thunder" is sampled as is to begin Avicii's "Shame On Me". I think I like the Avicii track more. God of Thunder is so clunky, the singing is horrifying at points. I know it all makes sense with the visuals and the live show, but the audio alone is hackish at best. "Great Expectations" continues that dreadful, campy delivery - this time with eye-rolling lyrics. I get it, this music isn't to be taken more than gimmicky party music, but damn. A clever composition on the outro can't save this one. Now "Beth", that's an interesting one. Dramatic and tender if only for a moment. Still a goofy lyrical subject matter, but a unique one at that. But to deny oneself of a Beth singalong is to deny oneself of a little joy. Album that are so ambitious-yet-soulless make me grasp the roots and appeal of punk music a lot more. Just go listen to Meatloaf 2/5

Never listened to them before. The album started promisingly but got more and more excruciatingly and painfully naff. The lyrics and choruses particularly mind numbing. I get the feeling that without the warpaint and live histrionics they would not be remembered at all. Fair play though, one of the finest exponents of style over substance to have lived. Sadly though I’m not giving them a point for that as I’m not willing to forgive the 30mins of boredom just inflicted.

The first Marketing firm to come out with music

Kiss is a band that I've never really liked. Destroyer is an album that has nothing interesting about it except for the cover. 2 stars

Kiss, you are ridiculous. And this album may be the pinnacle of makeup-era absurdity. An argument can be made for the appeal of earlier albums (the debut, Rock & Roll Over, Love Gun) for their simple, rock appeal. But here we go off the rails into pure silliness, and Kiss the cartoon characters are born.

A bit meh, no great riffs, no great songs, vocals are okay, derivative. Very one-note.

I've always found KISS ridiculous in their weird costumes. Some of their songs were pretty fun at teen parties. Other than that, the band wasn't to be taken seriously. And that's how I'd describe the album, too: ridiculous. 2/5

"I can definitely see where the 'cover band' criticisms for this group come from. For the most part, this album is just way too cheesy, theatrical, and overproduced for my taste. It completely lacks the raw energy or darker, atmospheric edge I usually look for in music. However, I have to admit that 'Detroit Rock City' is a solid, driving rock anthem, and 'God Of Thunder' actually has a fantastic heavy, menacing riff that completely caught my attention. I saved those two tracks, but the rest of the record is just not for me. A fair 2/5

Favorite track(s): Detroit Rock City, God of Thunder

Never really listened to KISS.. if this is their sound, they’re severely overrated

It can take a two star and thank me for it. Fuck me this was dire. So so close to a 1.

Some fun tunes that struggle to mesh well in the modern age.

I was thinking that I should stand up when I listen to albums on this list to give myself the room to really feel the music and move around and whatnot if I want. This was a really poor album to start that trend with. It sounds so empty. There are a few interesting ideas, I guess. I liked whoever's kid that was saying their music was too loud on God of Thunder. I don't have a lot to say, but I sat back down pretty early on.

It’s always found it bizarre how many of my favorite musicians love KISS when they’re so wretchedly mediocre. I guess you had to be there. “Do You Love Me?” Is a pretty good song, though. I can see why Nirvana covered it.

Without the stage show, they're a bar band.

Holy absolute garbage. I had listened to and enjoyed Detroit Rock City many times. I never realized how horrible KISS is in full album format. I’m sure the live shows make up for some of it. But, my god, this sounds like it was written, played, and produced by a high school garage band. I mean there were times where I was doubting if they actually knew how to play their instruments. Detroit Rock City and shout it out loud get it an extra star. But I was shocked how mediocre this was.

I'd never listened to a full Kiss album before, but this is surprisingly bad. It's not heavy, and there's not a single good riff. The poppy stuff is eye-roll inducing, and the musicality is basic. The lyrics are also incredibly stupid. 1.5/5.0: Bad

the music was a bit stale but it was entertaining for the most part. i ended up liking this a lot more than i expected i would, i even considered a 3 at one point!

p360. 1976. 2 stars. Average, bland mid 70s US cartoon rock. Not awful, but not great either. Just because a band sells millions doesn't mean they're good, or deserve to be on this list. On the plus, it's short.

I will cop to a bit of nostalgia for the sound of this band because it's one of my dad's favourite bands, and KISS were my first proper concert back in 2013. That said, that is all I can give it, because good lord does this album suck. For such a notorious "hard rock" band, to the point where the contemporary media tried to paint them as being "Knights In Satan's Service", the music is quite honestly lethargic! It's slow, it has absolutely no grit to it, it sounds like it was pre-sanitized to optimize for radio play, which wouldn't be out of character for Gene fucking Simmons. By contrast, the lyrics are either pedestrian or over-the-top gross and sexual. Absolutely not one I'm gonna revisit.

Glam rock?! All my life I thought these were some heavy metal guys. Forgive my ignorance. It's horribly-dated glam rock at that, both in sound and lyrics. Detroit Rock City's bassline had me hopeful at the start, but it's all generic and forgettable from there. Quick note about their getup: everyone knows about the face paint, but Gene Simmons has those monster steppers ON. Shit's tuff. 🔥 Standout: Detroit Rock City

About what I’d expect from a band more known for their face paint than anything Detroit Rock City definitely doesn’t need that long to get into

Pretty dull tbh

KISS isn’t for me. Feels fake and soulless.

Detroit Rock City is solid, Shout It Out Loud is fine, and I have a weird fondness for Beth. The rest is terrible. I thought God of Thunder was going to be a weird outlier on an otherwise decent album but man it just doesn't get any better from there. Bad lyrics, annoying hooks, repetitive song structures, mediocre writing and execution across the board. I wanted to like this.

nobody needs to hear a KISS album before they die. You are not missing out on anything vital or irreplaceable. If you want scumbag rock you’re better served by the much, much more charming AC/DC. For arena rock you should be listening to The Scorpions, a band that deserves a place on this list way more than KISS. If the makeup does it for you go listen to GWAR. Hell, you’d be better served by unironically listening to the Spinal Tap discography. Nobody needs to listen to KISS! Even if we somehow ignore how the world would be a better place if Gene Simmons fell down a well there is absolutely nothing this band does that a dozen other bands don’t do better. Even their specific combination of those things is done better by much worse bands. This is the “good” KISS album and man the non-singles are dire. And what makes me angriest of all is I still might end up giving this a three because I’m weak to this kind of guitar rock and the singles are very competent hits. Probably a two though because the gulf between the singles and the album cuts is wiiiiiiiiide For real though why are we wasting our time on this instead of one of the solo Ozzy albums? We could have had Diary of a Madman in this spot

Album #162 Kiss: Destroyer KISS are undoubtedly one of the most recognizable and iconic bands of all-time, yet I feel like that is a title that they hold without anyone really still listening to their music. But that’s really their whole deal, isn’t it, style over substance. To those who grew up during their prime, they were a rebellious and forward-thinking band, and one many older folk hold in high regard. Yet amongst the youth, the prevailing sentiment is that they were a bunch of hacks who were good at marketing and played safe pop rock. I won’t lie, I expected my opinion to lie somewhere in the middle, since I do enjoy KISS somewhat from what I’ve heard; and by that I mean I like ‘I Was Made For Lovin’ You’ and don’t really know any other songs. Well, after listening to Destroyer, it really does seem like the Boomers were blinded by the lustre of the split tongue and cat face paint, because this thing stinks. After the first song, ‘Detroit Rock City,’ I was feeling optimistic, a song that I recognized, and, although nothing special, a fun pop-rock banger, which is all I really expected from KISS. However, pretty much every song after that was a complete snoozefest, of unimaginative and unengaging music. It really is just the most inoffensive ‘hard’ rock one can make, presumably the band just treating the music like a product, and their image as a business. Oh well, I understand its conclusion, and at least I can join in on the KISS hate now with a leg to stand on. Best Tracks: Detroit Rock City, Beth, King Of The Night Time World Worst Track: Great Expectations Score out of 10: 4.5

I didn't do much for me. I tapped my foot a few times and chanted along once or twice. Maybe a different Kiss album would be better.

I’ve tried many times with Kiss, but can never find my way there. It’s a me problem.

I did not like this. I did not hate this. This would have been enjoyable if I was born with minimal hearing. Beth was alright though.

Detroit Rock City’s shoulders must be tired from holding the rest of this album up. How did one of the best rock songs of all time end up front-lining an album of middling, juvenile tosh?

Appreciate it, but not my thing

Two decent songs. The rest were bad. Beth was a big song in junior high

Yeah not great. Maybe one good song

Hair metal is lowkey really funny

No thanks

Disappointing

detroit rock city riff: kicks ass rest of the album: sucks ass

Fine for OWM music.

This didn't age well

Two stars, only for Detroit Rock City. Afterwards it gets progressively worse. I do not like KISS overall.

Thank God it's short.

Nothing here is bad per se but it sure as hell is one of the most boring things to ever touch my ears, first song is good and the rest is the most forgettable thing ever

Kind of passed me by average, boring rock.

Meh

Groupe connu par le tube 'I Was Made for Lovin' You' qui passait souvent à la radio à l'époque de sa sortie. Il me semble avoir tenté ensuite de m'intéresser aux 'Alive' plus anciens, sans avoir vraiment accroché. Puis le groupe est complètement sorti de mes radars. C'est pareil pour cet album. Les deux premiers morceaux sont plutôt sympa (riffs essentiellement), puis après j'ai décroché. Les morceaux suivant ne sont pas assez dynamiques à mon gout. Ce rock très mou ne m'a pas marqué, je me suis ennuyé assez vite. Le pompon est pour 'Beth' et son orchestration pseudo-classique qui m'a fait baisser la note et m'a coupé toute envie d'écouter l'album une seconde fois. =>2/5

all sounds kinda the same to me

mad underwhelming. they have no song where they need to be doing allat. ts so tame and boring considering the aesthetics.

obviously i fw detroit rock city being from the detroit area but the rest is not for me, much love though.

this is not good. It's also funny how soft and plain it is vs what their reputation says and what their image portrays. it's not annoying but I don't need KISS in my music library.

The thing I love about these high school girls, I get older, and they always stay the same age.

Just a band I never got, and never really spent time giving their catalog a try. This one didn’t prove me wrong.

It's okay. I don't love it. Not sure I would listen on the radio (except Beth)

I honestly wasn't expecting to see KISS on this list. At least this one has what's probably their best song, Detroit Rock City. But man, Gene Simmons is trash at vocals. Even Peter Criss outshines him on this album and his song is only alright.

Always find KISS bland and uninspiring. Highlight of the album was the surprisingly tender Beth which stood out from the rest of the dull glam rock 4/10

Feels theatrical in a way that doesn’t really translate into substance. Big gestures, not much underneath.

An unholy bastard child of hard rock and glam, KISS are a self-parody. The first two tracks and Shout It Out Loud have better-than average riffs and performance, but it's not really enough to sustain a whole record full of silly pseudo-tough posturing and make-up-wearing posers. Alice Cooper did it first and did it way better. These idiots somehow simultaneously took it way too seriously and also half-assed everything just to cash in on an image calculated to create a whole cottage industry of dumb. Bob Ezrin's contribution here was to add in a heaping helping of inexplicable Meat Loaf theatrical epicness that just makes it a hot mess. Broadway musical music for drooling 70s metal kids. Perfect for lampooning in a mockumentary like Spinal Tap. Plodding drums anchor average rock riffs and by-the-numbers sneering vocals and lyrics.

Having not listened to a full KISS album before, I didn't know what to expect—but this wasn't it. I suppose I'm glad to have listened to it and to now be more enlightened, but I won't be returning to this.

Not completely unlistenable if you like 70s hair metal. But this isn’t for me. The music all kind of blends together.

It’s not my genre. Recognized a song or two. Not awful. Not great.

Shaking my head. Not good.

Personal enjoyment: 2/5 Relevance to this list: 4/5

Gear: HEDD Audio HEDDphone Two Artwork: ️🤩😸👹😈 Production (2012 Resurrected Remix): 😐👍🆗 Music: 🧼🤘😅 Rating: 💋(💋)/5

No

I can't give it a 3 after hearing Great Expectations. Yeesh.

Solo tiene 1 buena canción

Feels kind of slow and lazy for rock and roll. Does not have the Crisp sound of Black Sabbath

Schlock rock. Mercifully short.

DRC is hard carrying the whole thing

If I were 20 years older, it’s likely I would have listened to this on repeat - I’m not, so I will never listen to this again.

One of my fave authors, Chuck Klosterman, is a huge Kiss (and also weirdly, Billy Joel) fan, and he only gives this a grade of B. 13 other Kiss albums rate higher. He is a huge Steely Dan and Beatles fan as well. Never was big on this band, although their Top 40 hits are admittedly fun to sing along to, even though they seem somewhat plodding and formulaic to me, with no real swing/soul (same for Huey Lewis, sorry, Jeff). Their dressing up gimmick also bugged me. This was just OK. Weirdly, a great surround sound mix on Apple Music for a mid-70’s album. Not enough to get to a 3.

Shout it out loud

Very corny band, but Detroit Rock City rocks

En Kiss han vivido de las rentas de su estupendos directos, pero no han hecho un disco bueno en su vida. Y mira que tienen. Este tiene dos canciones, Detroit Rock City y Shout it out Loud, que habrían sido un single de puta madre. El resto, se lo pueden llevar a una trampilla de esas que les gustan tanto.

Kiss is pop marketed as Rock. Sadly, this isn't the best or the worst example of Kiss music.

I was surprised by how tame KISS music actually is... Anticipated very edgy lyrics in keeping with their aesthetic but found this album to be very much bravado, very generic, almost a parody of what it should be. Cringe in a way I had to laugh at times, especially when he brags about his leather heels! , though mostly a bit boring. Its perfectly listenable 70s guitar, a bit dated but just unremarkable boring. Deducted a point once I saw that face reveal video

This was pretty bad, even by Kiss standards. When Gene starts attempting to sing on the third song, I had to check how much longer, and it was still too long, even with Beth yet to come. Not sure why this is on the list and I actually like a lot of 80s glam metal.

Eh.

It's a weird one to rate, but I personally didn't enjoy it really at all. It's just so plain sounding

It's perfectly fine, andhonestly not what I expected. I liked this significantly more than AC/DC, and it's way slower/tamer than what the KISS persona gives off. I thought there would be a bit more metal or hard rock in this hard rock. I think Detroit Rock City is probably the most fun song on the album, but digital streaming has no way to trim the first 90s of intro garbage, so it's not making my playlist. I also liked Great Expectations, but it's pretty corny and not really spectacular by any means. Could have skipped this and been ok.

The slower songs, and the ones that are a bit more like Power Pop, such as Flaming Youth are the better ones; otherwise it’s pretty generic rock ‘n’ roll of the era.

I, like many, went through my KISS phase. Being from the suburbs of Detroit this album was particularly huge. The opening of the first single always intrigued me as a kid. We were listening to someone do what we do all the time, listen to music in our car. I appreciate this more for the nostalgia and gimmick than as actual music that was ground breaking. Once their gimmick failed to keep people tuned in, they did the big reveal that I watched live on the now defunct MTV. Then they made some spectacularly cheesy and misogynistic 80s music (Lick It Up, anyone?). The song Beth started a trend for hard rock bands to record some sugary song (with an orchestra even!) that always seemed to climb up the charts. KISS has always taken themselves a bit too seriously and started a marketing trend that is unmatched. KISS coffin, anyone? Their recent worshipping at the MAGA alter was stomach churning, but my positive recollections of listening to them with friends and my siblings remain. Great memories but the music is meh.

Listening session: february 26th, while getting ready in the morning Listened to before: no Thoughts: I’ve always disliked Kiss and I tried to give this album an honest chance, but this is just not it for me Favourite track: Detroit Rock City

Honestly, not as bad as I thought it would be. Still bad though.

Dumb and crass but occasionally entertaining. Favourite track: Detroit Rock City

Well ok now! Lol

If they took out all of the repeating lines, this album would be really short.

There's a million other classic rock bands who either play harder or with more virtuosity, so why not listen to them instead?

My rating 2.4. Even with Detroit Rock City and Beth this album is bad. It leaves me thinking what was the Kiss phenomena all about??? it seems to me it was all theatrics covering up mediocre song writing and musicianship

Good reminder that KISS kinda sucked

Well, it finally happened....this is the ultimate "band that everyone I love loves" and I dont get it. So many musicians I admire, from ?uestlove to Jeff Tweedy to Tom Morello have cited Kiss as an influence, and furthermore I know Paul Stanley himself loves bands like Big Star, the Raspberries, etc. So there should be something to get into for me here...and yet, every time I hear them I think its more or less as stupid as the first time I heard it. There are some cool riffs (and guitar tones, shoutout Bob Ezrin) and fun energy underneath their pedestrian singing and lyrical obsessions over partying and their dicks, but you still leave feeling like without the makeup, they would just be another indistinguishable hair band. I respect theyre not too self-serious, but its still just a little too goofy to be the kind of campy I enjoy. The vocals are often comically bad. Its reeeeeaaally not that far from Spinal Tap, except its not satire. A Kiss greatest hits is probably more than enough, and in 2026 this sounds like an AI rendering of the dumbest excesses of a classic rock band.

I did use a private session for this one. I don't want Kiss in my algorithms. Kiss is to rock music what Starbucks is to coffee, it isn't the quality of the product, but the branding. Learn to play an instrument for six months, put on clown makeup, and gather three like minded individuals and you can form a Kiss like band.

Although this was crap, I expected it might have been even worse.

Can't listen to Kiss, don't get why they're so big to be honest.

At times incredibly corny.

Top 3: 1. Detroit Rock City 2. King Of The Night Time World 3. God Of Thunder Least Favourite: Great Expectations Fairly boring. I feel like any song from this album is already done better by other bands/artists.

I hate this kind of glam rock.

Begynner bra med energi og feststemning. Men så kommer God of Thunder, og sminken begynner å smelte. Dette er teite greier. Blir rett og slett for traust utover på plata.

I didn’t like Kiss in 1976 when I was 12. I sure as hell haven’t changed my opinion now I’m a grizzled 62 year old.

Points for "Beth." Just not my jam.

I only knew a few Kiss songs so I was kind of excited to get this album. Is this what Kiss sounds like?

Yes, very metal, heavy and lightweight all at the same time, only consumable in small doses...

I've gotten used to the fact that this band is not metal and is barely hard rock. Their songs just don't match their onstage presence and pyrotechnics.

This was so bland. Like nothing really interesting in the rock, felt so straight shooter. I suppose the glam JoJo Bizarre Adventures visuals were a big part of the appeal to make up for how bland the music was. The only tracks that kind of worked for me were 1) "God of Thunder" because I could see how would wow audiences in live shows, but I don't like the kid screams in the background :/ and 2) "Do You Love Me", because it is so bland and straightforward, that it kind of works as ideal background music during union breaks back when i worked on a factory floor

I just assumed KISS was going to be lame. Starting off the album ... okay, Detroit Rock City is nostalgic for Guitar Hero, so a strong start. Then, the rest of the album was a snoozefest. 2/5 since Detroit Rock City wasn't a snoozefest.

Really couldn't get into this. Not sure if it's the Spotify version of the master or the actual content but it seems a bit thin. A couple of classic tracks, but I wouldn't go out of my way to listen to the album cover to cover again.

Almost offensively boring

Heavy metal that is neither heavy nor metal? Hard rock that didn't? A concept-lite mediocre batch of rawk-theater.

Wow. Not what I expected. Went from rocking out the stadium to crooning at the piano bar.

Total snoozer

DNF. This is was pretty tired. Some songs were tolerable, it's not the most offensive record ever, but it's just boring and predictable. Nothing was keeping me intrested.

Beth I hear you cause you are the only good thing on this album

Soooooooo Boooooriiiiiiiiing OMG just kill me please. This feels like eating plain rice for dinner every single day of your life. And undercooked rice at that. These guys manages to make even guitar solos boring, like in “Flaming Youth”. I have always loved their style with their cool make up and all that, but this was my first listen. Biggest dissapointment ever. And not even a cool Swans dissapointment where I feel like I’m being tortured. Just a huge and boring dissapointment. This took my joy away from Rock. I want Queens of the Stone Age jams, and young Arctic Monkeys vibes. Not the nursing home lullaies these supplied me with. A 5/10 from me. But seriously. I know these guys were really important, and “Do You Love Me” was actually good, so no offense to you if you like them.

Detroit Rock City is a fun one. God of Thunder is scary, don't really like it. Actively hating Great Expectations with a passion. That was some extremely meh rock.

A bit meh

Not at all into this overblown crap.

I have always felt that hair bands are weak. Bunch of glam guys in make-up and high heels, screeching about how great they are and how much they get laid. The Knights In Satan's Service is one of the leads of this genre and without the movie "Detroit Rock City" and the KISS mini golf in Vegas, they would still end up in the very lame category for me. Destroyer is sub par but does have a the track that spawned the movie. Probably get another one from the group on the list and I hope it is better than this record...1.73 Starchilds.

C’est parti, on s’attaque à du lourd aujourd’hui voir du très lourd. On va parler de la lourdeur du maquillage, des bottes compensées de quinze centimètres et des égos surdimensionnés. On va parler de Kiss et de l'album "Destroyer" Pour un gars comme moi, né en 1970, biberonné aux ondes interlopes et habitué à écouter de la "musique pas comme les autres" (gros clin d’œil à Bernard Lenoir, que son nom soit sanctifié, ceux qui savent, savent, les autres, allez réviser vos classiques de la bande FM du soir), se frotter à KISS, c’est un peu comme demander à un amateur de grands crus de s’enfiler un soda tiède et trop sucré. C’est pas que c’est toxique, c’est juste que… ça colle aux dents et ça n’a aucun goût de terroir. Alors, "Destroyer", déjà le titre est prometteur car on s’attend à se faire détruire, annihiler, réduire en cendres auditives… Oui, ça c'est sur le papier car au final qu’est-ce qu’on a ? On a un baiser. Mais alors, honnêtement, c'est un baiser qui pue de la gueule. Vous voyez ce genre de baiser de cinéma, technique, bien éclairé, avec la langue qui bouge exactement comme il faut pour la caméra, mais où on sent absolument aucune passion, aucune tripe ? Voilà, c’est ça cet album. Attention, ne me faites pas dire ce que je n’ai pas dit, ce n’est pas une purge absolue. Je ne vais pas faire mon snob élitiste (enfin, si, un peu, c’est mon fond de commerce après tout) en disant que c’est inécoutable. Techniquement, il y a du boulot. Et pour cause, ils ont embauché Bob Ezrin à la production, le mec qui a bossé avec Alice Cooper et qui bossera plus tard sur "The Wall". Le type sait comment faire sonner une caisse claire et comment arranger des cordes pour que ça fasse pleurer dans les chaumières du Midwest. La production est ciselée, c’est indéniable. C’est propre, trop propre. On pourrait manger par terre dans ce studio et c’est bien là le problème. Car moi, j’aime quand le rock sent la bière renversée et le mégot froid. J’aime quand la guitare grince, quand la basse te laboure le ventre. Ici, le son a par moment ce petit côté glam rock qui n’est pas sans déplaire – je ne suis pas insensible à un certain groove pailleté quand c’est bien fait, genre Bowie ou T. Rex – mais là, franchement, je n’accroche pas. C’est du hard, oui mais quel hard ? Et bien, ce n’est pas le bon hard. Ce n’est pas le hard qui te serre les couilles dans un étau industriel. Ce n’est pas le hard qui te fait te sentir sale et vivant. Non, c’est le hard pour les chevelus permanentés, c’est le hard pour les mecs qui passent plus de temps devant le miroir à ajuster leur spandex que devant leur ampli à chercher le larsen parfait. Écoutez l’ouverture, "Detroit Rock City", c’est censé être l’hymne ultime. Il y a les bruitages de voiture, le crash, le côté narratif… C’est du théâtre de boulevard avec des guitares électriques. C’est du Grand Guignol pour adolescents américains qui n’ont jamais entendu parler des Stooges (qui, eux, venaient vraiment de Detroit et savaient ce que c’était que de tout casser). Ici, tout est scénarisé, tout est contrôlé, on est plus proche de Broadway que du CBGB. Et puis, il y a "God of Thunder", Gene Simmons qui essaye de nous faire peur. « Oh la la, je suis le Dieu du Tonnerre ». Sérieusement ? Mec, ton « Dieu du Tonnerre » a l’air d’un comptable déguisé pour Halloween. Ça manque de tripes, ça manque de ténèbres, les vraies, celles qui te collent à la peau. Mais le pompon, la cerise sur ce gâteau indigeste, c’est "Beth". Ah, "Beth", la ballade. Le moment où le batteur (Peter Criss) prend le micro pour chanter une sérénade à sa femme avec un orchestre philharmonique au cul. C’est d’une guimauve… C’est tellement sucré que j’ai senti mon diabète grimper en flèche juste en écoutant les premières mesures. C’est fait pour les slows dans les boums de fin d’année, c’est fait pour passer à la radio entre deux pubs pour de la lessive. C’est l’antithèse de tout ce que je défends musicalement. Si je veux de l’émotion, je mets "Disintegration" des Cure, je ne mets pas un type déguisé en chat qui pleurniche parce qu’il rentre tard de répétition. Je sais, je suis dur, je suis peut-être injuste. Il y a des millions de fans de la KISS Army qui me pendraient haut et court avec mes propres lacets de Doc Martens s’ils lisaient ça. Ils diraient que je ne comprends pas le « fun », que je suis un pisse-froid intellectuel qui ne jure que par le post-punk dépressif. Et ils auraient peut-être raison. Mais on est sur mon blog, c’est mon carnet de bord, et c’est mon ressenti. Le problème fondamental avec "Destroyer", et avec KISS en général pour un gars comme moi, c’est l’artificialité. J’ai passé ma vie à chercher l’authenticité dans la musique. Que ce soit la rage nihiliste de Nirvana, la noirceur clinique de Joy Division ou les architectures sonores de Godspeed You! Black Emperor. Je cherche l’humain derrière le son. Chez KISS, je ne trouve que le produit. "Destroyer" n’est pas un album, c’est une brochure marketing pour vendre des figurines, des flippers et des cercueils (véridique, ça existe) à l’effigie du groupe. Alors oui, il y a "Shout It Out Loud" qui est un hymne de stade efficace. Oui, "King of the Night Time World" a une certaine énergie. C’est pour ça que je ne mets pas zéro car il y a un savoir-faire c’est indéniable. C’est carré, c’est pro, c’est américain, c’est une machine de guerre conçue pour remplir les stades et vider les portefeuilles. Mais est-ce que ça me touche ? Non. Est-ce que ça me donne envie de me lever et de crier ? Non. Est-ce que ça me donne envie de réécouter l’album ? Absolument pas. Ça me laisse froid, ça me laisse avec cette impression désagréable d’avoir assisté à un spectacle de marionnettes géantes et bruyantes. C’est du divertissement, ce n'est pas de l’art et moi, j’ai toujours eu du mal avec la musique qui n’est "que" du divertissement. Pour résumer : si vous aimez les permanentes, les solos de guitare joués avec les dents (mais des dents fausses, hein, des facettes), les paroles qui volent pas plus haut que la ceinture et les productions tellement léchées qu’on se voit dedans, "Destroyer" est votre Graal. Pour moi, c’est juste un bruit de fond luxueux. Un truc qu’on entendait à la radio dans les années 70 et qu’on oubliait aussitôt la chanson suivante commencée. C’est l’archétype du groupe que je ne pouvais pas saquer quand je bossais à la radio, celui qui représentait tout ce contre quoi le mouvement punk, puis post-punk, et enfin indie s’est construit. Donc, au final, la note sera un 2 sur 5. Pourquoi 2 et pas 1 ? Parce que, comme je l'ai dit au début, ce n’est pas une purge inaudible. Il y a de la mélodie, il y a de la structure. C’est juste que je n’accroche pas, c’est viscéral, c’est épidermique. Ça pue de la gueule, mais c’est un baiser quand même.

Crud but Detroit rock city is pure nostalgia

It’s ok, just never got the hype

Cant get off to a much better start than Detroit Rock City, whatever way you cut it, that's just a great song. Still though, I found myself bored listening to this whole thing, which isn't great considering its only about 30 minutes long. It's just far too samey, and the only ballad, Beth, doesnt work for me at all. Could take it or leave it, but mostly would leave it

KISS is just not for me.

Didn't finish it, but didn't mind it. Beth was a surprising track. Prob won't listen again.

- A produção é muito boa, do Bob Ezrin que fez entre outros álbuns the wall. Tem elementos épicos, como orquestra, coral e efeitos sonoros. - Eu não sei que ideias novas eles trazem, a aparência do Secos e Molhados, a atitude do Stooges, a música de todas as bandas antes deles (Beth parece que saiu de um álbum dos Beatles)

not my style

Best songs were also the most overplayed and unwelcome.

I have never understood the hype and popularity of this band. Such an odd combination, hyper sexual demonic looking leather clad men singing some of the gayest songs ever recorded.

I prefer my kisses with the perfect amount of tongue, and my music challenges with a lot less KISS.

Gene simmons 🫩

Man, they really send the on the nose sex stuff huh? Detroit Rock City rules.

No pants were involved in the writing and/or recording of this album.

I was expecting something more for a band I had heard so much about. The album was strangely quiet and gave me Christmas vibes towards the end. The best song was the one that was the most different to the rest of the album.

Sounds like every 80s rock band but somehow worse

Not one of my favorites

I'm not a huge KISS fan at all, in fact I despise most of their music. I dunno, it's just not up there with other 70's hard rock bands. Sure they try the glam hard rock route, but there's not a lot of substance behind it. Boring lyrics, boring guitar work. Best songs on this album: Sweet Pain Detroit Rock City Skippers: Beth (god awful) Do You Love Me God of Thunder Great Expectations. 2.44 / 5 stars

Fine again

Detroit Rock city, Yes!. Everything else was meh. I was made for greatest hit albums should be theor mantra. One good song on each album, followed by filler

This is #day491 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… most likely I wouldn't flip the station if this were on a classic rock radio. Otherwise, there's next to zero chances I'd ever choose to put this on my own. Let it be a 2 out of 5. Looking forward to #day492.

This is my first Kiss album. I was familiar with a few of the songs. I came into this with the opinion that Kiss is more or less Bon Jovi but uglier and with fewer good songs. I come away more or less unswayed from that opinion.

C’est fou à quel point j’étais un peu hype d’avoir un album de Kiss, groupe mythique auquel j’ai accordé très très peu de mon attention. Ben il y avait peut être une bonne raison de pourquoi j’ai rien entendu d’autre que les 3 mêmes hits: c’est suuuuuuuper plate, genre royal. Chaque tounes est insipide, y’a rien de catchy ni même easy listening, c’est totalement poche, littéralement une parodie de hair metal avant le hair metal. Je comprends pourquoi ils se maquillent maintenant: c’est des arnaqueurs qui ont tellement honte de leurs carrières qu’ils doivent se cacher la face.

Another fairly bland listening experience. It's not without it's own merits, but it just didn't strike me as anything out of the ordinary.

I didn’t know what to expect and wasn’t impressed either.

Not a fan at all.

Unlistenable

In my early teens, I was a big Kiss fan. Well, listening to this made me aware that their main talent was the show, not the music.

Hmmm... I sort of like this but not as much as I expected I might. My brother was super into Kiss when I was a kid, but it wasn't my bag. Still sort of isn't.

cheesy af

I feel I should probably be listening to this in an American muscle car, cruising along a highway with the windows down and the music up, not sitting wrapped in blankets on a freezing afternoon in England. I'm sure the setting would make a difference in the rating. This isn't horrible, it's just Kiss, everything you expect from Kiss, in a very Kiss kinda way.

Simplistic and cringe worthy. I can see why the kids liked it though.

Ita just not for me. I dont think its bad in any particular way, just that its bad for me. It opens pretty well with Detroit rocl city. That song is the highlight of the record but even then its not really that good. The bass has this little tripplet thing that is quite nice. The only other song that gave me anything was shout it out loud but even then it wasn't good enough to throw it a like. All the others are just nothing. I cant say ive ever liked gene Simon's vocally. And the music isnt captivating in any way. I didnt hate the listen but I would have picked alot of other records before this.

Excellent production but KISS are just pretty bland. They're significant for putting commerciality above creativity and marketing above music, but that doesn't make it an amazing listen, they just sound like watered down versions of other bands.

Te corny

Mercifully Short. Sadly Shit.

Never was a Kiss guy and I guess I'm still not.

"Most kids were infatuated with the looks of Kiss, not their music"- KISS's Spotify description 2025

never was really impressed by these guys

IDK, nothing special

Never really saw the appeal of KISS. It’s like the pop version of arena rock. This album was missing a lot and was fairly uninteresting throughout. 2/5 Won’t listen again

Mostly lame and boring. A couple standouts like Detroit Rock City, God of Thunder, and Shout it Out Loud are great, but the rest of the album drags

I wish I could get into their music…

Beth is a fine song, but it isnt rock :-)

Outside of the radio hits, I had never listened to a full KISS album. Now I know why, as this was just dull as fuck. This definitely did not need to be on this list. As it played, I pretty much tuned it out.

Kiss are best at big dumb rock, and they still aren't very good at that. Trying to be smart just makes them worse.

Fun glam rock. Enjoyable.

Prior to today, I couldn't tell you a single thing about Kiss or name you a single member other than Gene Simmons, who has been known to cause a stir on occasion with some off-handed comments. After listening to this, I couldn't tell you a single thing about it either, other than that it's some serviceable enough hard rock, but ultimately a bit throwaway.

This sounds like an AI attempt at generic 70s stadium rock. Paul Stanley > Gene Simmons. Shout it Out Loud is a solid track though 2.5

I don't wanna hear this horse ass band ever again

Con el perdon de la Kiss Army, no me genera nada. Detroit Rock City nomás. 4/10

A friend of mine came to an interesting revelation about KISS some time ago. That being that KISS is a children's band. Since hearing this, I have started noticing how often stories about KISS' music and shows told by people over a certain age begin with "when I was 8...", "Back When I was 12...", "I was 10 when I first heard KISS", and now, I'm more or less on board with this theory. And it isn't really a bad thing. It honestly helps contextualize the band for me. Who better to love men in elaborate costumes making glammy pop-rock about partying and discovering the true meaning of Rock and Roll than those under the age of 15. That being said, I know as many KISS songs as anyone else, which is a good many, and I can't say the band has ever floored me. The opening salvo here is Destroyer at its best. Detroit Rock City, King of The Night Time world, and God of Thunder are fun and rockin', even if you technically have to sit through a minute or so of ambience to get there. Aside from this run, I count Shout It Out Loud among the highlights too, but I can't say I'm as thrilled about anything else here. Great Expectations and Beth are kind of non-starters. I don't do KISS ballads (with the exception of Goin' Blind, but that one is like actually somehow sort of eerie, so I don't really count it in the same world), but Beth does try at redemption in the, admittedly pretty cool, back half. Aside from these, the other songs here just don't feel as catchy, energetic, or strongly written as the better stuff here. Destroyer is a mixed bag to me, one that unfortunately has more bad than good by volume. But KISS manages to get a few good songs in, and it's enough to earn a second star.

Maybe it's an American thing, but, I just never really got Kiss. I suppose I can appreciate they were perhaps unusual/unique at the time, but, perhaps in a more modern lens some of that is lost.